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“LES CABANYES” PRESCHOOL AND PRIMARY SCHOOL
“LES CABANYES” PRESCHOOL AND PRIMARY SCHOOL
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“LES CABANYES” PRESCHOOL AND PRIMARY SCHOOL
An
architectural project is, in many ways, defined by its context and future
occupants. When these occupants are
young students, a designer must address childrens’ needs specifically with a
space that is, at once, cheerful, sheltering and engaging. A primary school in Northern
Spain by design studio ARQTEL Barcelona reflects a philosophy that
carefully attends to programmatic needs which are necessarily intertwined with
the childrens’ needs. It follows, then,
that the project is pedantic in its attention to detail and clear in its
functional framework.
The site is an example of a
particular kind of ‘urban fragment’
and the school’s position and orientation takes advantage of its unique site
conditions. An elongated plot of land
sits at the periphery of a small city with urban fabric to its west, north, and
east and an open vineyard landscape to its south. The school generates a dialogue with its
surroundings in its spatial composition and orientation as well as its tectonic
expression. Retaining a telluric presence, the building
brings a sense of order to the site and acts as a landmark among surrounding
buildings and fields. The volumetric
breakdown of the building makes its organization very legible. A north-south
longitudinal axis opens up in a circulation pattern resembling a comb,
alternating playfully between filled and empty spaces that characterize the
whole.This arrangement optimizes programmatic
functionality at the same time as it focuses on aspects of light and the
quality of the spaces generated.
A
north-south axis, which connects the entire building, opens up to an outdoor,
public sphere of access. At this
northwest corner, the main entrance is marked by a void in the overall building
volume and a splash of color on the entry doors. From here, circulation flows into the
preschool and primary school areas separately, avoiding undue disruption as the
children walk to their classrooms. The north-south axis, a two-story high space,
is marked as intensely as the secondary interior courtyards. The long axis organizes and links the spaces oriented
perpendicularly, each space varying according to its programmatic need. Secondary
courtyards between these spaces may function as a preschool or primary school
playground, a sports field, garden area or courtyards for relaxing and basking
in natural sunlight. The façade reflects
the building’s various functions with expressed stratification that is visible
within a larger building volume.
The
building’s orthogonality allows for construction elements that are linear and of
limited depths. This purposefully
minimizes the extension of building elements into the courtyards and maximizes open,
exterior space. This also minimizes the
area of the site occupied by building. The
design intends to distribute uses equally so there is parity between the
intensity of occupation through the building. This strategy helped guide the
location of different programmatic pieces within the building. The linking axis and equal emphasis on
different programmatic volumes ultimately sponsors rhythm from the repetition
of the pieces; it unifyies them by serving as a datum for the interior spaces.
The northernmost
volume of the school houses the spaces for the youngest children, with
classrooms open to the south. The space serves as a physical buffer between zones of the school, but
also as a refuge from which the children can observe the real world and
happenings outside through a transparent and ever-changing wall. At the same
time as the observe and play, they are warmed by the heat and light of the sun.
In a
similar spatial organization, the central longitudinal volumes are linked by
the layout of the classroom spaces that face north to prevent overexposure to
the sun. The opening of the corridors to
the secondary courtyards renders these circulatory spaces warm and welcoming.
The
longitudinal piece can be described as an element of transition and closure. In other words, the gymnasium and
multipurpose room at the southern-most end serves as a terminus to the
north-south grain but also acts as an independent element, accessible with or
without engagement from the rest of the building.
The
stratification of the facades intentionally creates a modern and dynamic air. The result embodies a kind of animated architectural
and material character with exposed concrete walls on the facades of the
longitudinal axes. While the
facades give shape to the secondary courtyards, they also provide a
counterpoint to the materiality of the aforementioned facades. Here, the
facades are painted in lively colours, evoking a sense of warmth and joy. They
alternate with the transparent sections which are then resolved very
differently in relation to the interior spaces.
The
building section is characterized by its adaptation to the topography and
orientation allowing different spaces to receive abundant natural light. When this light is combined with
the colours of the corridors and the classrooms, it creates a play of light and
shadow within warm and pleasant spaces.
Concerns about the environment and sustainable
development have become increasingly important for construction methodologies
at large. In accordance with a kind of ‘three dimensional’ sustainability - environmental,
social and economic – the building is inspired by and adheres to a
mutli-faceted approach to environmental excellence. The school exemplifies
sustainable architecture in its conception and design, ranging from passive
climate control systems to the construction itself. With the intention of
employing innovative thinking in construction methods, prefabricated systems
have been used for the structure, facade and partitions. These systems have enabled the architect to
reduce construction time considerably, provide construction elements of
outstanding quality, reduce noise and dust emissions and lower the time and
waste generated by the construction process itself.
The
prefabricated structure is based on the Deltamix system, composed of reinforced
concrete pillars sized for one or several floors, pre-stressed hollow-core
slabs and DELTABEAM concrete-steel beams. These beams feature a metallic core, which
creates a concrete-steel beam when joined to the hollow-core slabs. This beam
is highly resistant to flexion, torsion and shear stress and also has excellent
fire-resistant properties.
One of the
notable advantages of this system is the total absence of suspended beams below
the frame of the hollow-core slabs, allowing for thin flat slabs with bases of
minimum thickness. Other advantages offered by this system include the
reduction in overall construction time and the ability to capture light up to 12 meters with large open
spaces. Additionally, the system offers fire
resistance up to 180 minutes, elimination of the need for bracing, better
acoustic insulation and minimization of the period of environmental
impact. It increases the building’s
durability with the use of better materials and high-quality products as well
as making waterproofing easier. The system also optimizes the building’s life
cycle, facilitates the making of spaces of diverse sizes and makes the assembly
process safer. Efforts to partition spaces and construct holes for electrical
systems as well as other installations are minimized and slabs are reduced to
its optimal thickness.
The
facades are made of 15 cm
or 20 cm-thick prefabricated exposed concrete panels that are painted in one of
six different colors or left with an exposed concrete finish. The prefabricated
panels are reinforced with an interior double drywall sheet that is 13 mm thick. The 46 mm frame with insulation
and the air chamber allows for adequate thermal and acoustic insulation.
The
anchoring systems of the upper and lower parts of the panels are exceptional.
On the upper portion, anchoring is embedded into the slab when the wall runs
parallel to the hollow-core slabs. When
the wall is oriented perpendicular to the slabs, the vertical panels use
embedded "L" profiles at the top to fasten the beams or the slabs.
The bottoms feature U-shaped buttresses so that the base of the facade can be
connected to the pavement.
In
addition to these tactics, it utilizes renewable energy systems such as
photovoltaic or solar panels to satisfy the building’s energy demands. To
ensure significant energy savings, both in terms of heating as well as
electricity consumption, the architect has specified double walls with thermal
inertia complemented by exterior doors and windows with thermal breaks. Other energy-saving tools include the placement
of mechanisms to control the interior solar light level, water-saving
mechanisms and presence detectors in the rest rooms and changing rooms to
control the use of artificial light.
Representative
of Arqtel’s progressive attitude toward social, environmental and economic
aspects of design, this Catalonian school marries playful space with efficient
and sustainable construction with charming results.
architectural project is, in many ways, defined by its context and future
occupants. When these occupants are
young students, a designer must address childrens’ needs specifically with a
space that is, at once, cheerful, sheltering and engaging. A primary school in Northern
Spain by design studio ARQTEL Barcelona reflects a philosophy that
carefully attends to programmatic needs which are necessarily intertwined with
the childrens’ needs. It follows, then,
that the project is pedantic in its attention to detail and clear in its
functional framework.
The site is an example of a
particular kind of ‘urban fragment’
and the school’s position and orientation takes advantage of its unique site
conditions. An elongated plot of land
sits at the periphery of a small city with urban fabric to its west, north, and
east and an open vineyard landscape to its south. The school generates a dialogue with its
surroundings in its spatial composition and orientation as well as its tectonic
expression. Retaining a telluric presence, the building
brings a sense of order to the site and acts as a landmark among surrounding
buildings and fields. The volumetric
breakdown of the building makes its organization very legible. A north-south
longitudinal axis opens up in a circulation pattern resembling a comb,
alternating playfully between filled and empty spaces that characterize the
whole.This arrangement optimizes programmatic
functionality at the same time as it focuses on aspects of light and the
quality of the spaces generated.
A
north-south axis, which connects the entire building, opens up to an outdoor,
public sphere of access. At this
northwest corner, the main entrance is marked by a void in the overall building
volume and a splash of color on the entry doors. From here, circulation flows into the
preschool and primary school areas separately, avoiding undue disruption as the
children walk to their classrooms. The north-south axis, a two-story high space,
is marked as intensely as the secondary interior courtyards. The long axis organizes and links the spaces oriented
perpendicularly, each space varying according to its programmatic need. Secondary
courtyards between these spaces may function as a preschool or primary school
playground, a sports field, garden area or courtyards for relaxing and basking
in natural sunlight. The façade reflects
the building’s various functions with expressed stratification that is visible
within a larger building volume.
The
building’s orthogonality allows for construction elements that are linear and of
limited depths. This purposefully
minimizes the extension of building elements into the courtyards and maximizes open,
exterior space. This also minimizes the
area of the site occupied by building. The
design intends to distribute uses equally so there is parity between the
intensity of occupation through the building. This strategy helped guide the
location of different programmatic pieces within the building. The linking axis and equal emphasis on
different programmatic volumes ultimately sponsors rhythm from the repetition
of the pieces; it unifyies them by serving as a datum for the interior spaces.
The northernmost
volume of the school houses the spaces for the youngest children, with
classrooms open to the south. The space serves as a physical buffer between zones of the school, but
also as a refuge from which the children can observe the real world and
happenings outside through a transparent and ever-changing wall. At the same
time as the observe and play, they are warmed by the heat and light of the sun.
In a
similar spatial organization, the central longitudinal volumes are linked by
the layout of the classroom spaces that face north to prevent overexposure to
the sun. The opening of the corridors to
the secondary courtyards renders these circulatory spaces warm and welcoming.
The
longitudinal piece can be described as an element of transition and closure. In other words, the gymnasium and
multipurpose room at the southern-most end serves as a terminus to the
north-south grain but also acts as an independent element, accessible with or
without engagement from the rest of the building.
The
stratification of the facades intentionally creates a modern and dynamic air. The result embodies a kind of animated architectural
and material character with exposed concrete walls on the facades of the
longitudinal axes. While the
facades give shape to the secondary courtyards, they also provide a
counterpoint to the materiality of the aforementioned facades. Here, the
facades are painted in lively colours, evoking a sense of warmth and joy. They
alternate with the transparent sections which are then resolved very
differently in relation to the interior spaces.
The
building section is characterized by its adaptation to the topography and
orientation allowing different spaces to receive abundant natural light. When this light is combined with
the colours of the corridors and the classrooms, it creates a play of light and
shadow within warm and pleasant spaces.
Concerns about the environment and sustainable
development have become increasingly important for construction methodologies
at large. In accordance with a kind of ‘three dimensional’ sustainability - environmental,
social and economic – the building is inspired by and adheres to a
mutli-faceted approach to environmental excellence. The school exemplifies
sustainable architecture in its conception and design, ranging from passive
climate control systems to the construction itself. With the intention of
employing innovative thinking in construction methods, prefabricated systems
have been used for the structure, facade and partitions. These systems have enabled the architect to
reduce construction time considerably, provide construction elements of
outstanding quality, reduce noise and dust emissions and lower the time and
waste generated by the construction process itself.
The
prefabricated structure is based on the Deltamix system, composed of reinforced
concrete pillars sized for one or several floors, pre-stressed hollow-core
slabs and DELTABEAM concrete-steel beams. These beams feature a metallic core, which
creates a concrete-steel beam when joined to the hollow-core slabs. This beam
is highly resistant to flexion, torsion and shear stress and also has excellent
fire-resistant properties.
One of the
notable advantages of this system is the total absence of suspended beams below
the frame of the hollow-core slabs, allowing for thin flat slabs with bases of
minimum thickness. Other advantages offered by this system include the
reduction in overall construction time and the ability to capture light up to 12 meters with large open
spaces. Additionally, the system offers fire
resistance up to 180 minutes, elimination of the need for bracing, better
acoustic insulation and minimization of the period of environmental
impact. It increases the building’s
durability with the use of better materials and high-quality products as well
as making waterproofing easier. The system also optimizes the building’s life
cycle, facilitates the making of spaces of diverse sizes and makes the assembly
process safer. Efforts to partition spaces and construct holes for electrical
systems as well as other installations are minimized and slabs are reduced to
its optimal thickness.
The
facades are made of 15 cm
or 20 cm-thick prefabricated exposed concrete panels that are painted in one of
six different colors or left with an exposed concrete finish. The prefabricated
panels are reinforced with an interior double drywall sheet that is 13 mm thick. The 46 mm frame with insulation
and the air chamber allows for adequate thermal and acoustic insulation.
The
anchoring systems of the upper and lower parts of the panels are exceptional.
On the upper portion, anchoring is embedded into the slab when the wall runs
parallel to the hollow-core slabs. When
the wall is oriented perpendicular to the slabs, the vertical panels use
embedded "L" profiles at the top to fasten the beams or the slabs.
The bottoms feature U-shaped buttresses so that the base of the facade can be
connected to the pavement.
In
addition to these tactics, it utilizes renewable energy systems such as
photovoltaic or solar panels to satisfy the building’s energy demands. To
ensure significant energy savings, both in terms of heating as well as
electricity consumption, the architect has specified double walls with thermal
inertia complemented by exterior doors and windows with thermal breaks. Other energy-saving tools include the placement
of mechanisms to control the interior solar light level, water-saving
mechanisms and presence detectors in the rest rooms and changing rooms to
control the use of artificial light.
Representative
of Arqtel’s progressive attitude toward social, environmental and economic
aspects of design, this Catalonian school marries playful space with efficient
and sustainable construction with charming results.
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